DHAKA, Bangladesh (AFP)--Bangladesh on Wednesday urged Pakistan to apologize formally for alleged atrocities committed by its army during Bangladesh's bloody liberation struggle in 1971.

Bangladeshi officials have said three million people were killed during the fight for independence for what was then East Pakistan, and the new government in Dhaka has vowed to try suspected war criminals.

In a meeting with Pakistan's High Commissioner on Wednesday, foreign minister Dipu Moni raised the issue of "seeking formal apologies by Pakistan for the genocide in 1971," a written statement said.

A Pakistani envoy told Bangladesh in February to let "bygones be bygones" and rejected plans to try those accused of murder, rape and arson.

A private Dhaka-based group that has investigated the conflict has named 1,775 people, including Pakistani generals and local Islamists allied with Pakistan, as war crime suspects.

'As far as Pakistan is concerned, this matter stands resolved under the 9 April 1974 Tripartite Agreement,' Foreign Office Spokesman Mr Abdul Basit said at the weekly media briefing.

Under the 1974 agreement Pakistan had regretted the incidents that took place in 1971, but did not formally apologise. In 2002 then President Musharraf had also expressed regrets for the 1971 incidents during his visit to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni had told Pakistan High Commissioner Alamgir Bashar Khan Babar that Pakistan needed to apologise for the Bangladeshis killed in 1971, share assets and repatriate stranded Pakistanis, when the envoy called on her to condole over the death of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s husband Dr M A Wazed Miah.

The Bangladesh government is also reportedly seeking UN assistance for trial of what it calls 1971 war criminals and there are indications in the diplomatic circles that this issue would blow up into a full fledged diplomatic row between Islamabad and Dhaka.

The spokesman at the media briefing insisted that Pakistan valued its relations with Bangladesh and preferred to move forward. 'We have conveyed this to our friends in Bangladesh.'

He further said 'let bygones be bygones' and hoped that the relations between the two countries would not become hostage to the past.

As far as Pakistan is concerned, this matter stands resolved under the 9 April 1974 Tripartite Agreement,' Foreign Office Spokesman Mr Abdul Basit said at the weekly media briefing.

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Can you clarify for me the third party in this tripartite Agreement. Pakistan..bangladesh and ?. plus where I can read about it.

There has been many request in Europe for Countries to apologise for various conflicts, atrocities, and misdeeds caused. Some are forthcoming some not. Some do not wish to apologise for the 'sins of their fathers'

On one hand I see Bangladeshis asking for an apology on Other Hand I see Pro Pak Writers/Journalists/People expressing their anguish at India for Liberating them! What am I to believe? That the people who love India outnumber the People who Hate India and their Independence War?? I dont know, but as far as the Net goes, its crowded with Bangladeshis expressing their anger at being Liberated!

There has been many request in Europe for Countries to apologise for various conflicts, atrocities, and misdeeds caused. Some are forthcoming some not. Some do not wish to apologise for the 'sins of their fathers'

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The Fathers never apologized for their sins, and now the sons don't want want to apologize for the sins of their fathers. Clever way of never admitting your crimes.

On one hand I see Bangladeshis asking for an apology on Other Hand I see Pro Pak Writers/Journalists/People expressing their anguish at India for Liberating them! What am I to believe? That the people who love India outnumber the People who Hate India and their Independence War?? I dont know, but as far as the Net goes, its crowded with Bangladeshis expressing their anger at being Liberated!

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Come se come sa..To that end Sir, there is no answer. In many years to come perhaps. Sometimes liberation is not as free as you think!!

Come se come sa..To that end Sir, there is no answer. In many years to come perhaps. Sometimes liberation is not as free as you think!!

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In case of Bangladeshis, liberation is truly freedom. If not liberated, then Bengalis as a race would have been eliminated and I am not exaggerating. Pakistanis were keen on 'breed correction'. They wanted to make the 'short dark rice eating' Bengalis into 'tall fair tight assed' pakistanis.
And once the BD was liberated, India's intervention in their domestic politics has been extremely limited. Any other Nation would have completely exploited the situation, but not India.........

So, those Net Bangladeshis who are not happy with liberation are simply those who have wet dreams of Islamic Ummah. For them being a part of Pakistan was just a step in that direction. They have no patriotic feelings. They identify themselves primarily based on their religion rather than nation.

I wonder what is the timeline for asking apologies. For instance, can India ask apology from UK for its brutal imperial rule over India and many excesses during the period, breaking India into small pieces officially............

And would a simple apology suffice. Many artifacts looted during the times of British Raj are still in UK, shouldnt they be given back. Can India claim some legal compensation from UK?

On one hand I see Bangladeshis asking for an apology on Other Hand I see Pro Pak Writers/Journalists/People expressing their anguish at India for Liberating them! What am I to believe? That the people who love India outnumber the People who Hate India and their Independence War?? I dont know, but as far as the Net goes, its crowded with Bangladeshis expressing their anger at being Liberated!

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I remember reading a certain exchange between an average joe and journalist and it was something like this..

Why are there so many hate comments against you, and other journalists when you criticize BJP? Looking at the cyberworld, India, esp Delhi is full of BJP supporters.

The journo replied, if India was full of BJP supporters from your observation of the cyberworld, then why has the Congress been ruling Delhi ?

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The net is not a very good barometer of public perception, and certainly not defence forums which are dens of jingoism.

I wonder what is the timeline for asking apologies. For instance, can India ask apology from UK for its brutal imperial rule over India and many excesses during the period, breaking India into small pieces officially............

And would a simple apology suffice. Many artifacts looted during the times of British Raj are still in UK, shouldn't they be given back. Can India claim some legal compensation from UK?

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Good question: Having thought long and hard I have come to the conclusion that Britain will not apologise. The reason,my reason is, Queen Victoria was the Empress of India therefore to imply brutality and other excesses would mean that the Queen was party to it. As the Queen is not liable to answer for her actions, and is immune from prosecution, I'm sorry to say that the loverly diamonds in the Crown remains in British hands. Then we had Mountbatten, the Queens cousin..well, nepotism covers his back If memory serves, the Greeks are also after getting their Elgin Marbles back, but we have yet again dug our heels in on that score as well. So, NO a simple apology certainly would not be good enough. I think we have an aversion to saying sorry to anyone. Typical British stubbornness yet again.

Good question: Having thought long and hard I have come to the conclusion that Britain will not apologise. The reason,my reason is, Queen Victoria was the Empress of India therefore to imply brutality and other excesses would mean that the Queen was party to it. As the Queen is not liable to answer for her actions, and is immune from prosecution, I'm sorry to say that the loverly diamonds in the Crown remains in British hands. Then we had Mountbatten, the Queens cousin..well, nepotism covers his back If memory serves, the Greeks are also after getting their Elgin Marbles back, but we have yet again dug our heels in on that score as well. So, NO a simple apology certainly would not be good enough. I think we have an aversion to saying sorry to anyone. Typical British stubbornness yet again.

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Sir,
Brutally honest and self-critical(Britain's and Queen's) post. Thumbs Up.:113: Many nations have indulged in such misrule in history, but since now we pride ourselves in living in modern world, we all should have to take the morals seriously.

Good question: Having thought long and hard I have come to the conclusion that Britain will not apologise. The reason,my reason is, Queen Victoria was the Empress of India therefore to imply brutality and other excesses would mean that the Queen was party to it. As the Queen is not liable to answer for her actions, and is immune from prosecution, I'm sorry to say that the loverly diamonds in the Crown remains in British hands. Then we had Mountbatten, the Queens cousin..well, nepotism covers his back If memory serves, the Greeks are also after getting their Elgin Marbles back, but we have yet again dug our heels in on that score as well. So, NO a simple apology certainly would not be good enough. I think we have an aversion to saying sorry to anyone. Typical British stubbornness yet again.

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the world system at the moment is that the brit-american alliance rules the world with one or two other powers eg russia holding their own. So the brit-am sets the "rules" and the dice are "loaded" in their favour.... so when they steal something from abroad , it's not theft but a legal move , when they start a war somewhere it is whatever they wanna call it.

With the advent of huge populations in china , india , and soon indonesia and perhaps pakistan ( if they can outlast the terrorism they created ) then there will be a significant shift of power in that direction.... so those countries will now have more of a say in fixing the new rules

the brit-am and west are not so happy about that and so theres lots of talk about depopulation - in which the large populations of india and china etc willl be reduced so that brit-am is not left so far behind .

for india it will be a delicate balance. WHile on the one hand india wasnt treated well by the brits during colonial rule , it has been treated with relative favour by the USA ... so india will have to gauge and see how to continue now that the usa is in a sense favouring india . It would not be so necessary to bring up grievances and upset that fine balance now that things are going well for india . The USA is improving relationships with india and their good pal israel also has a good report card for india .

so it may be a better idea to let the favorable run continue for india and later after consolidating their position then see if it is necessary and appropriate to bring up any issues , including whatever of the past.

India should've never released those PoWs, a war crime trial should've happened.

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was it feasible to have handed them over to b'desh - ( after some time , when they would have had some facilities to house the 90,000 pows ) ...and them allow b'desh to negotiate with pakland - so that way india would stay free of any implications and also not be pressured to release such a great "treasure "

it seems to me that my people the great india dont do much brainstorming before giving things away - too many examples including half of kashmir to pak.

was it feasible to have handed them over to b'desh - ( after some time , when they would have had some facilities to house the 90,000 pows ) ...and them allow b'desh to negotiate with pakland - so that way india would stay free of any implications and also not be pressured to release such a great "treasure "

it seems to me that my people the great india dont do much brainstorming before giving things away - too many examples including half of kashmir to pak.

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Actually, many Pakistani PoWs were guarded by Indian Army after the instrument of surrender was signed. The Mukti Bahini wanted these PoWs to be handed over to them. They were ready to butcher them in public. The Indian Army refused. The Mukti Bahini then went on to hunt down the Razakars and many of them were publicly executed.

I am ambivalent towards the decision by Indian Army to protect the PoWs from the Mukti Bahini. It has good as well as bad sides.